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Whose subjectivity? Power and inequality in cultural selection
1Africa Institute for Research in Economics and Social Science, University of Mohammed VI Polytechnic, Rabat, Morocco zachary.garfield@um6p.ma https://zhgarfield.github.io/.
The Behavioral and Brain Sciences
|July 13, 2026
Summary
Subjective selection links individual minds to cultural trends. However, social hierarchies, power dynamics, and inequality influence whose perceptions become cultural traditions, reflecting both shared psychology and unequal influence.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Social Psychology
- Cultural Anthropology
Background:
- Singh's framework proposes subjective selection as a mechanism linking individual cognition to cultural convergence.
- Existing models may not fully account for the role of social structures in shaping cultural transmission.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elaborate on Singh's framework by introducing the concept of hierarchical mediation in subjective selection.
- To analyze how social hierarchies influence the amplification of individual perceptions into cultural traditions.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis and theoretical commentary on existing frameworks.
- Integration of social power dynamics and inequality into models of cultural evolution.
Main Results:
- Subjective selection is not uniformly enacted; it is hierarchically mediated by influence, authority, and interdependence.
- Inequality and social power significantly determine whose evaluations gain cultural traction.
Conclusions:
- Cultural traditions reflect a complex interplay between shared human psychology and the unequal distribution of social influence.
- Understanding hierarchical mediation is crucial for a comprehensive model of cultural convergence and societal influence.
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